It's Not Like She Cares
by Mipiko
Summary: . . .But being kissed by him fifteen times does leave quite an impression on her. Of course, not like she's counting or anything.


**_A/N:_**

An extremely belated Birthday gift to one of my Fav people on the site, _Shadow Fox777_ ~! And as many times as I've apologized over AIM, I'm still sorry that it's taken so long for me to JUST come up with something like this. OTL

* * *

_**~ . . . ~**_

* * *

The first time he kisses her, she doesn't think much of it.

Sure, it's not a bad kiss — not wet and sucky, nor does it make her feel as if though she's being eaten alive — in fact, she'd even go as far as to call it _nice_. She'd probably give it a 7.5, maybe even an 8 out of 10. But to be honest, there's nothing special about it. And, if truth be told, all it makes her feel is guilt.

One thing she does note, though, is that he has the tendency of nibbling at her bottom lip. She stores it away in her memory and decides to try it on Luki the next time she kisses him (she is confident that the time will come).

* * *

The second time he kisses her, they are sitting in the back seats of the cinema, and although she doesn't mind it as such, her friends pop up out of nowhere to stop them before it develops into a full-frontal make-out session.

She isn't really disappointed, but she can't say that she's glad, either.

* * *

The third time they kiss is the last of their kisses as a couple. Also, she is in a wheelbarrow at the time, filled with cherries and loquats, not exactly a normal situation. He kisses her goodbye on her front porch in front of all of her friends, and even they have to admit that for someone she doesn't even _like_, he really is very sweet. After he leaves, the guilt starts to creep up on her.

She breaks up with him four days later.

* * *

Their fourth kiss is at Miku's latest gig, when she is going out with Piko and he is going out with Aria. He confesses to her that he thinks he may be in love with her, and when she looks up at him, lost for words, he has a big red false clown nose on. It looks ridiculous, and they both fall over laughing. When she sees his head incline towards hers, his fingers pulling off the novelty clown's nose, she instinctively leans in and kisses him, holding his lips to hers by the back of his neck. The kiss is all tongue and teeth, and she is caught up in the moment and the incredible sense of lightness and giddiness that he makes her feel.

When they pull away, they are both in a daze. She doesn't know what she's doing and he doesn't know what he's doing, and they both part with few words exchanged.

It's only afterwards that she realizes it's their first kiss that's she's initiated.

* * *

Their fifth kiss happens at his and Mizki's Summer Get-Together, in the BPlats kitchen, and it's the second time they both cheat on Piko and Aria. She can't seem to control herself around him; all he has to say is "You owe me a kiss," and she finds herself attached to his mouth once again, being lip-nibbled to within an inch of her life. But after a few minutes, he stops mid-lip-nibbling and says, "We shouldn't be doing this." Of course, she already knew that. He tells her that she has to choose between him and Piko, and his lips brush against hers once more before he turns and goes back into the living room.

She wonders if he has some kind of control over her body and her willpower.

* * *

They're in the park when they have their sixth kiss.

It's lovely, the sun low in the sky and the air light and crisp, the atmosphere relaxed and carefree. They both lie down on the grass and just talk for ages, about life and the universe and everything. They stare up at the sky, pointing out shapes in the clouds, and tell each other stories. She can't remember the last time she's just talked to someone like this (clearly she couldn't with Lily because she'd get so annoyed at her that it would most likely end up in a nasty incident).

When they fall silent, she turns her head towards his to find that he is already looking at her. She swears that he is getting better looking all the time. It's unclear who leans in first, but it's very clear, at least to her, the feeling of exhilaration that courses through her body when their lips meet and he kisses her in the softest, sweetest kiss she's ever known. Her heart beats erratically, and her body feels like it has been set aflame. She reaches up to tangle her fingers in his soft bubble gum pink locks, and he in turn gently cups the side of her face in one of his hands, his other arm going around her waist and pulling their bodies closer together.

It's perfect, absolutely perfect, and for a moment, she wonders if this is how it feels to be kissed by someone who loves you.

They don't break apart until the sun has set.

* * *

He has a new girlfriend by the time they have their seventh kiss.

Gumi is nice, she has to admit, but she's just too overly-enthusiastic and she treats Miki like as if though they're best friends. They're not. She wonders what Yuuma even sees in her.

Their seventh kiss happens on a Monday afternoon, as he is walking her home from working. They start the "No, are YOU mad" thing, which quickly escalates into tickle fights, and the next thing she knows, she is being kissed to within an inch of her life up against the front gate of her house.

When they stop for breath, she says to him, "Why'd you do that? You're going out with someone else." Like as if it's ever stopped them before.

He says, "So?"

"Well, it's not right."

"What isn't?"

"You flirting with and then kissing me when you're clearly going out with someone else."

"Miki, you're just repeating yourself, and anyway, there is an explanation."

She wonders if he still has feelings for her, even though it's been quite a while since they'd broken up. She looks at him sympathetically. "What's the explanation, Yuuma?"

"I _like_ kissing you."

"But. . ."

"Don't you like kissing me back?"

She can't admit to him that yes, she really likes this and what they do, likes the way he nibbles at her bottom lip and the way he makes her feel, as if she is the only person in the world to him. She can't admit that to him because after all, she has got some pride(ish).

Instead she says, "Well, that's not the point. I mean, don't you like Gumi. . .?"

"Yeah, she's cool, but I like you too, and come to think of it, I've taken quite fancy to your sister."

"You fancy my sister? Which one?" She looks directly into his eyes, searching, and hers nearly bug out. "Yukari?!"

He leaves her in a state of utter disbelief.

* * *

Their eighth kiss is at her house, at almost ten o'clock at night.

He comes to tell her that he's seen Akaito and she turns into a blabbering mess, and ends up telling him about the "boy-entrancers" episode she experienced the last time she spoke to him. He nods and gives her boy advice, and when he goes to leave, he kisses her goodnight on the threshold of her house.

She knows that she can't deny it anymore that he doesn't make her feel loose and giddy.

* * *

They have their ninth kiss as they are walking over the back fields behind her house. She's crying at the time, from who knows what because it's soon forgotten. So the kiss turns out a bit wet, but that may have also been because of the rain dripping down on them from the leaves of the tree they were standing under.

He tells her that he thinks that Akaito is playing the field, but then he says, "But I do think that he really likes you, because, well, despite being certifiably insane, you are a lovely, funny little Brat. But, y'know, you really are quite a sweet person." She can't help herself. She pounces and clings onto his neck, and tears come out of her eyes, which he dabs away with his sleeves. What has she done to deserve such a lovely boy as her friend?

When she pulls out of the hug, it's only so that she can kiss him, her tongue tangling with his and salty tears still streaming down her face. They stand there under the tree, their arms around each other, not caring that the torrential rain is freezing their skin upon contact with it. She puts everything into that kiss, her confusion and wanting for him, the inexplicable feelings she holds for him deep in her heart, feelings that only seem to intensify with every kiss, every moment they share together.

They are both soaked to the bone when they pull apart, but make no move to get back inside the house. They stand there amidst the rain, looking into each others' eyes and feeling the undeniable chemistry sizzling between them.

When they do get back inside the house, they snuggle up in front of the heater together and just hold each other until nightfall and he has to go home.

* * *

Kiss number ten happens once again as they are walking home from school together. He has his arm around her waist, and she has to admit it's quite nice, even though this whole thing has been going on for too long, but still feels like as if though nothing else can tarnish how perfect it feels. Even if she does have to give him a stern warning when his hand "kind of" drifts onto her bottom. As he goes off to his house, he gives her a kiss on the mouth and says, "S'later."

* * *

The eleventh time they kiss is at Lily's "Rock" party.

They are leaning against a tree at the bottom of the garden, sipping their drinks when he takes her glass out of her hand and puts it down on the bench beside them.

He takes her face in both his hands, and leans down and kisses her. It's hungry and lustful, and also quite frisky. Her hands roam up the back of his T-shirt and he presses her more forcefully into the tree, one hand traveling up the front of her top, but does no more. She can't pretend that he doesn't make her go all weak in the knees, especially since they literally give out on her and she kind of collapses into him, clutching onto his arms for dear life. His teeth nibble at her bottom lip, and she can feel her brain turning into mush. He is top at kissing, no one can deny that.

But he stops, all too soon, and resists when she tries to pull his mouth back to hers, saying, "Oh no, Mii-chan, I'm not going through this again." And he lightly bops her forehead and goes off into the house.

Wait. . .What? What?

* * *

They have their twelfth kiss on the Camping Weekend shindig that their Masters had thought would be a brilliant idea for inspiration, in the middle of a forest in the middle of nowhere.

Her shorts are wet at the time (she slipped and fell into the river trying to catch a duck to keep as a pet), and he's laughing as he says to her, "You're hilarious, Miki, honestly. There's never a dull moment with you. And that's why I love you."

She can't believe her ears. Did he just say what she thought he'd said?

As he helps her out of the riverbank, wrapping his arms around her waist to lift her up, she clings to his shoulders and can't help but notice how natural it feels to have his arms around her.

He says, "Have you wet yourself , Mii-chan? Your shorts are soaking." And of course, he knows this because his naughty hands have casually wandered down onto her bottom. But she can't bring herself to smack them away. Instead she just replies, "No, but I think they're full of tadpoles, and it really hurts." As he takes hold of one of her hands to pull her up the bank, she winces at the soreness in her bum. In fact, she says to him, "Is it even possible for me to even break my bottom?"

He looks at her then, and he is really smiling.

"Are we never to be free?" He's smiling down at her, his crinkly smile that she loves so much.

"Oh screw it, who cares anymore?"

And he kisses her, for the twelfth time, the sounds of the forest around them and the light of the full moon filtering through the trees. Both are covered in various bits of nature, but neither of them cares, because they're kissing each other again and the world suddenly seems a lot brighter as they're attached by the lips.

When he stops and pulls away, loosening his hold on her, she wobbles and almost falls back into the river, because her whole body has gone completely jelly. Just in the knick of time, his arms rescue her, and the sudden jerk as he pulls her away from the edge of the riverbank helps her to come to her senses.

She shoves his arms off her and gives him her worst look.

Confused, he says, "What?"

"You know what."

It's heated again, but this time it's not from passion, but from the angry, accusing words they throw at each other, the frustrated exclamations and sighs, the tenacious fire burning in their eyes. They fight; really fight, because they're so sick of it, sick of trying to stay faithful to their relationships, but not being able to quell the desire they feel burning for each other.

She absolutely hates it when he gets angry at her; because the thought of him hating her is one of the few things that really make her feel terrible about herself for having caused it. She depends on him too much; life doesn't feel right when they're not talking to each other.

That night, he walks out on her in the woods, and her heart breaks. As he disappears into the shadows, she realizes that she can no longer see a "happily ever after" in her future. Not without him.

This is the one fight that breaks her, and she doesn't know if they'll ever make up.

She cries.

* * *

But they do make up, only minutes later, and he gives her a thirteenth kiss. Just a soft little kiss on the mouth, but it's full of raw emotion and tears are still streaming down her face from their fight. She gently kisses him back, because she knows that this time they have gone too far, there could be no more accidental kisses anymore.

She is with Akaito, and he with Miku.

It's a goodbye kiss in a way, but she doesn't dwell on that fact. She's just glad to have his lips pressing against hers one last time. They know they can't go on like this.

* * *

Their fourteenth kiss happens in front of her house, after the craziness that was Lily's "cinema experience". It is past midnight, and thousands of stars twinkle over their heads as they stand looking at each other in the half light. He places a hand on her face, gently stroking it, and lets a finger trace at her mouth. Her lips part without her permission.

He looks down at her then, and she finds herself frozen, locked in his gaze, unable to look away from those mesmerizing gold eyes.

"I don't know what it is about you, Mii-chan, but to me you are the most beautiful girl in the world." His words are soft, and so earnest that she feels her throat constrict and her mouth go dry. Her heart clenches almost painfully. She can't move, can't do anything except keep gazing into his eyes, fighting against the overwhelming urge to reach up and brush his lips with hers.

Then he leans down and kisses her, just a little kiss.

Her reaction is somewhat delayed because of her shock; it's been so long since she's kissed him. But when she does finally reach up to kiss him back, he steps away from her. She watches, still somewhat shell-shocked as he pulls his coat collar up and takes a deep breath.

The only thing he does is utter under his breath, "Huh, that was a bit unexpected. . ." He down at her and says, "Catch you later." And then he leaves her standing in front of her house, feeling utterly bewildered as she watches him walk off home.

Why does he always leave her like this, dazed and confused?

* * *

The fifteenth time he kisses her, she spends the entire night and the better part of the next day, the next _week_ thinking about it.

It's an all-consuming, all-encompassing kiss, and it makes her feel as if she can fly. It's the best kiss she's ever had — in fact; she'd probably give it a _16 out of 10_. Everything about it is special; the way his arms wrap around her body, his fingers tangling in her hair, the way she feels completely safe and content in his arms — and, of course, the way his teeth nibble gently at her bottom lip.

It's one killer of a kiss.

And to be honest, she really thinks that she can feel love.

* * *

**_A/N:_**

A bit on the sappy and fluffy side. XD I can't type romances that feel so. . . So. . . *flails hands around* I don't know how to describe it, but I always feel weird when I write happy end-y stuff! XD Ugh, I'm such a Fatalist. . . This was supposed to have ended on the Thirteenth kiss, but for one of those moments, I felt like I was being too harsh and went along with the Happies~ . . . By the way, they never really end up back together, even at the end, because she's still with Aka-chan and he's still with Mi-Mi. :3 /*shot


End file.
